Dóchas is calling on EU Member States to protect the €200 billion proposed by the European Commission for Global Europe in the upcoming budget.
It comes as EU Development Ministers gather in Dublin for a two-day meeting. The Irish Presidency says the agenda for the meeting will include the unprecedented challenges facing development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
The meeting is especially timely as it is followed on Saturday by Ireland announcing a draft seven-year EU budget. Dóchas says It is the right moment to ensure poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, human rights and gender equality are to the fore and Global Europe is on the agenda.
The EU has spoken of building resilient partnerships in a rapidly changing world. However, there are reports that a 40% cut to Global Europe, the EU’s future seven-year budget for external action, is being considered. This would mean less capacity to respond to crises and support development, and was criticised by Irish MEP Barry Andrews, who said “Drastic cuts would be a betrayal of everything the EU stands for.”
The network says devastating cuts to EU external action would make no sense at a time when global turmoil is increasing: Active conflicts are at their highest number since the end of World War II, while humanitarian needs have risen dramatically, with crises becoming increasingly protracted and complex. Almost a quarter of a billion people are estimated by the UN Global Humanitarian Overview of 2026 to need humanitarian assistance. Only 36% of the targets in the Sustainable Development Goals are on track.
Speaking ahead of the meeting of EU Development Ministers, Dóchas CEO Jane-Ann McKenna said:
“External action funding is one of the EU’s key tools for turning its commitments into action. This includes poverty reduction, humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding, human rights and gender equality.
The meeting of the EU Development Ministers is a chance for Ireland to show leadership at the European level, and fight to keep the proposed €200 billion budget. It is at a critical time as Ireland plans to outline a draft budget proposal. With global crises proliferating and the climate crisis worsening, protecting Global Europe would boost Europe’s credibility on the global stage and would send a strong signal that Europe wants to fight for the world’s most vulnerable.”